1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaslighter equipped with a cap pivot latch which permits a cap to snap into its open or closed position, particularly to an improved gas lighter structure which permits the cap and the housing to be assembled with ease.
2. Related Art
In general, a gaslighter is composed of many small parts. Gaslighters show a tendency to reduce their size and weight. Accordingly, the size of parts have been reduced by degrees. The lighter housing and cap are connected by inserting a pivot pin in aligned apertures of the cap and housing.
FIG. 4 shows a conventional gaslighter having its cap and housing connected by a pin. It uses a "T"-shaped push rod 105 with a spring 104 around its leg. The combination of the push rod 105 and the spring 104 is inserted in the longitudinal space 103 on the rear side of a housing 100 until the spring 104 reaches the bottom of the longitudinal space 103. Thus, the push rod 105 is resiliently held so as to move vertically in the longitudinal space 103. Then, the support piece 107 of a cap 106 is inserted in the longitudinal space 103 to push down the push rod 105 until the through aperture 108 of the support piece 107 is put in alignment with the through apertures 101 of the opposite rear, top extensions of the housing 100. Then, a pivot pin 102 is inserted in these aligned apertures 101 and 108. Thus, the cap 106 is pivotally fixed to the housing 100.
The attachment of the cap to the housing with a pin requires insertion of the pin in aligned apertures of the cap and the housing. This requires time consuming work, and accordingly, the efficiency with which the gaslighter is assembled is lowered.
Alternatively, a cap has opposite pivot pins integrally connected to its rear lower projection, and the cap is connected to the housing by fitting the opposite pivot pins in the countersinks of the housing. The integration of pivots onto the cap, however, requires complicated molds, which are relatively expensive.